Tuesday, December 27, 2011

No Grinches Allowed~Roast Beast for a Crowd

I hope all of you had wonderful celebrations ! You know when your children grow and and get married, there are so many compromises to be made for the holidays. Time has to be shared between both families.
So the holidays can be very stressful for many. I miss the days of spending Christmas with my sisters and their families, we don't get to spend any holidays together.
My son and his dear wife host Christmas, and it is a labor of love! They have 4 little ones , so it takes a lot to have the house looking beautiful and entertain for so many!
The ceramic tree I made for my mom so long ago gets displayed, which I do appreciate!
The table is set beautifully! Edited to add, son, set the table, that was his job growing up!
Lenox Tartan cloth and napkins, Waterford platinum stems.
Not a detail left out!
Many appetizers including dh's antipasto platter.
We also had shrimp cocktail, beef wellington bundles, sweet and sour pork bites*, cheese and vegetable platters and more.
The first course was stuffed baked clams*.
Main was Filet Mignon, Shrimp Francese*, Stuffed lobster tails, twice baked potatoes, carmelized onions*, sauteed mushrooms in wine sauce*. Spinach casserole topped with onion rings*, glazed carrots*, roasted asparagus and assorted breads. Items with a * were my contributions.
The children ate in the kitchen, 8 of them, and then it became the dessert buffet. If you look closely at the snowflake on the door, one of the grandboys added Spiderman! :)
My Yule log, dh's rugelach, and in the bowed silver bowl, I made death by chocolate with homemade peppermint bark as the candy between the layers.
There was also blueberry pie, red velvet cake, chocolate cream pie and cookies. Oh so much food! The tree was beautiful!It was a lovely day, and we thanked God for our many blessings, and look forward to the ever expanding family.

The only negative was that my Kdgn grandson had to be taken to the ER after everyone left, as he had an allergic reaction to something, so they were there till 4am! He was given a shot and was much better Monday morning.

We don't take our Christmas decorations down till Three Kings Day, Jan 6. I can't imagine not enjoying them this Christmas week into the New Year holiday. That's what we have always done, and I don't know anyone personally, who takes the decos down right away! But since I started blogging, I have learned others do!

68 comments:

With you as inspiration, how could your sweet DIL not be inspired?? Everything is beautiful, how she does it with four little ones I don't know, and the menu is scrumptillyicious (sp?). You must be tired. Your buche de Noel is a beauty. Looking forward to 'Alma's' goodie bag. ;) xo

Merry Christmas Kathleen!What a beautiful setting for a wonderful family! Everything was "decked out" to the nines!ps.....love the spiderman!!I am glad the little one is doing better.Happy New Year Be Safe and God BlessAndrea

Kathleen, I agree with previous comments. You've set the standard and are a fabulous role model. It must be so heartwarming to see your DIL do these things for her family. Glad all is well with the little one. Scary!Enjoy the week and relax. ~ Sarah

OMGoodness, what a FEAST!!!!!!!! We never have that much food and YOU sure did contribute alot! Your DIL has learned alot from you, it all looked devine! I have no clue how she does it all with 4 little ones!!!! THAT is a Chruistmas miracle:):) So glad you had a good day. I, too, miss hokidays with my family and Joe's. Now it is just our daughter and all her in-laws. At least I have some memories. XO, Pinky

Your son and daughter in law sure made justice to your talent; everything is PERFECT! I also find the holiday have changes; as I am agng,I get very notaslgic; so many have gone;but we now have so many new faces to see around the holiday table.Rita

What a wonderful family dinner in a beautiful setting! As our families grow, it does get tricky to gather everyone for holidays. We managed to have our son and his wife and our daughter and her family overlap by about 24 hours this year!

Oh my, what a lovely lovely home. The table was set meticulously and looks fabulous. Love the dessert table. And all the food sounds wonderful. I hope the New Year brings you warmth, kindness and many many blessings.. xo marlis

Kathleen, their home is beautiful! The mantel, the door decor - all of it stunning. But, knowing that you taught your son to set such a gorgeous table is priceless. With a mother like you, I'm sure he learned how important it is for the table to be inviting and special, and he certainly did that with this table. Oh, I'm so sorry their son had an allergic reaction, but glad it all worked out well. All of that food looked so delish. Wishing you and your family a wonderful 2012. laurie

Your sons home is absolutely beautiful. And the table was just gorgeous. How impressed I am that your son did this. The food the food, oh my it truly was a Christmas feast. Your trifle and yule log added added beauty and looked so delicious as did the rest. Your daughter in law must be a gourmet cook. Thankyou for sharing these personal moments with family. They are heartwarming.

I gained 10 pounds just reading that incredible menu! Roll me out in a wheelbarrow - wow, how could you say no to anything on the menu! The table WAS exquisite and perfectly done. So sorry to hear about the trip to ER, that is frightening, but they will talk about that in years to come.

My mother always left our tree up for my birthday which is the 8th so I love having an excuse to keep enjoying the decorations too. My SIL was taking hers down the next day. I say enjoy, enjoy!

Kathleen, such a beautiful table and Wow...so much yummy food! Death by Chocolate sounds insane...insanely good! :) Thanks for sharing this gorgeous table. You taught your son well...he did a great job setting it!

Kathleen, this table is just beautiful, thanks for sharing! And the food looks delish! Quite a celebration! You are right about the labor of love, that's a lot of work setting up, and cleaning up! Your son did a wonderful job! Happy New Year!

Sosorry about your grandson, Kathleen, but glad that allergic reaction got resolved pretty quickly. What an elegant table setting! I cannot believe your son did that. You really trained him well. And his wife did such a good job with the whole house and food. Everything is just lovely. I hope you will have a chance to see my post about my brand new granddaughter which is just below my current tablescape post. Happy New Year to all!..Christine

Oh Kathleen, you must be so proud. Everything looks spectacular. Clearly, his Mother's Son. The food sounds amazing. So sorry to hear of the ER visit. A sure way to put a damper on Christmas. Hope that all is well.

What a stunningly beautiful table. I know what you mean about celebrations changing as children grow up, move out, and marry. This is why I started hosting a Boxing Day dinner. No one needs to try to rush to see us on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but can relax and enjoy the day after. Happy New Year, Kathleen!

OMG Kathleen, you probably found your soul mate with your dear Dil and I can tell her Mil, Kathleen must be the main source of inspiration. Everything is gorgeous! The food looks so yummy and you all had a terrific and happy time, I'm so happy for you dear friend. Thank you sooo much for your for ever wonderful visits and kind comments. Here are my most sincere wishes for a healthy, prosperous and happy New Year 2012 for you and yours.FABBY

What a beautiful table!! I cen relate to the visit to the ER - Mr FH had a massive reaction to 'something' on Boxing Day night and was rushed to hospital too. He is still not feeling up to par yet but glad your grandson has recovered quickly.Suzyq

We always leave our Christmas decorations up into January, and enjoy them as much as we did before Christmas. Kathleen, everything looks spectacular. The menu sounds wonderful. Hope that all is well after that ER visit.

OMG! So glad to hear the grandson will be okay, I am sure that was scary. I must say this is quite a beautiful setting. I love every single gorgeous detail! It's so lovely and the food looks delicious too!

Hi Kathleen,Looks like you had a lovely Christmas. You taught your son well,as he set an outstandingly beautiful table. Their whole house is lovely,and such a pretty tree, and the menu sounded so good too! Yea, it is hard juggling things so that it fits with everyones schedule due to the new family sharing!I don't like sharing I have to admit!! lol, but oh well, I know I have to behave myself and do the right thing.................lol

Thanks for your sweet comments on my Christmas table. So glad you had such a nice Christmas, andhope you have a blessed New Year,all thru 2012.Nellie

Kathleen, I just clicked on one of your previous posts where you made your granddaughter a nosegay for her recital, and I found it utterly charming. I've made some nosegays for nieces and young friends, tussie-mussies, and I find that they are more appropriate and charming for their simplicity. Your granddaughter is one lucky girl!

Oh my goodness, Kathleen, what a spectacular Christmas dinner. There is nothing like being with family during this very special time. I usually take my decorations down by New Year's Day. I like to start the year with a clean house. Sometimes it doesn't stay that way very long, but its a good start anyway.I hope the new year is a healthy, happy and prosperous one for us all. Happy New Year, my friend.

Hi Kathleen....I see your son inherited your Tablescaping talents!!....beautiful looking table and wonderful looking food....Hope you have a wonderful happy and healthy New Year....Did you hit up all the stores for their after Christmas bargains.....find anything good at the CTS???

What I always think is really cool, Kathleen, is when the next generation cares about tablesettings and creating beautiful events for their families as much as we do. It's all beautiful, and what a menu!! Wow! Kudos to them and to you, because of how you raised your son. He obviously chose a wife who has the same sensibilities. Very cool.

With my Cuban heritage we too wait until the Three Kings come and leave gifts for the little ones. This year, because our oldest grandbaby is old enough to understand that they will come, we're going to gather at our home the evening of the 6th for cookies and hot chocolate. So fun to start this tradition for them now!(The one caveat is--if our tree holds out! We're going to try to keep it up, but if not, all the other decorations will still be up, waiting for the Kings to come!)

Happy new year to you and yours. I hope you'll be sharing these comments with your son and DIL. :) Thanks for sharing this very nice post, Kathleen. ~Zuni

What a breathtaking display of food,decor etc.! Your dil must be so talented and organised(and cool headed)!Your son was trained well in the art of table laying too!Looks stunning!Happy New Year to you and yours!

It truly was a labor of love for all involved!!! So much fabulous food and a table to die for!!!!!! The table was set with decorator precision!!! I applaud the young people for doing everything they had to do to make this a beautiful and special celebration. It must be terribly difficult with children under foot! All I have is a husband and it's crazy enough!!!

Kathleen, what a wonderful celebration! That is a huge crowd for Christmas. Your son did an outstanding job on that table. Does he hire out??? I wish he had been here to help me with mine. You don't even want to know. LOL!

Growing up, we always spent Christmas with my mother's sister and her family, alternating between their house and ours. It was so much fun. We had five kids between the two families, two grandmothers, two sets of parents, and assorted other relatives there. I miss them SO much. Now, Mr. Magpie and I tend to spend it with his family or with our close friends who are like family. This year we had ten here, and it was fun, but we missed Adelaide. Her chair sat empty in the living room, but the children kept us very entertained. Plus I bought enough presents to sink a battleship. LOL! I'm afraid my food wasn't as wonderful as what you described there, but we did enjoy it. I have to confess that I've been a bit of a moocher throughout the years, going where we are invited and providing presents and sparkling conversation (and sometimes a dish) as my offerings. LOL! I am a very appreciative participant, and I can trowel on the flattery with a spade for a good meal. LOL! Now, tell me, what cook doesn't love that??? ;-)

Kathleen, the food looks delicious and the table absolutely beautiful! You did a good job teaching your son! Yes, it can be stressful to not have family near at the holidays. We all just have to do the best we can to celebrate whenever we are together, no matter what time of year that is. That is something I had to learn a long time ago, when we lived very, very, very far (in another country) away from our family. We would have Christmas celebrations and gift exchanges in July, when we were able to come and visit.It is always such a joy to stop by your blog and see what you are cooking in your kitchen! And I want to wish you and your family a very Happy New Year!